My Secret Husband Chose Another Bride

I'd been secretly married to Charlie for six years, and this was the eighteenth time he'd refused to take wedding photos with me, using his busy work schedule as an excuse.

As I removed my makeup and changed out of my wedding dress, preparing to leave, I unexpectedly heard Charlie's voice.

Bring out all the most beautiful wedding dresses in your shop today. I want to take the most beautiful wedding photos with my wife.

My heart leapt with joy, and I blushed. I never expected Charlie to say such romantic words.

I pulled back the curtain of the dressing room, about to call out to him, when I heard the attendant's flattering voice.

"Mr. Charlie, rest assured. Your wife is as beautiful as a celebrity. She'll definitely be the most gorgeous bride."

The smile froze on my face. The manager wasn't complimenting me, but another woman Charlie had his arm around.

At that moment, our eyes met. His gaze shifted away guiltily.

Seeing me emerge, the manager turned to me.

"Miss Jenny, your husband doesn't have time today. Should I schedule your shoot for next week instead?"

I shook my head. "No need."

A flash of embarrassment crossed the manager's face. "But we don't refund deposits. If next week doesn't work, how about next month? That would be fine too."

"No need. He got into a car accident today and died. He won't have time ever again."

The manager's face went pale. "How could this happen so suddenly? Didn't he just say he was too busy with work to make it?"

"Miss Jenny, given your special circumstances, I can apply to see if we can refund your deposit."

I shook my head, a dense, prickling pain spreading through my chest.

Charlie and I had a secret marriage. No ceremony, no wedding banquet. Even our friends and family didn't know.

That's why I was obsessed with taking wedding photos.

In six years of secret marriage, he'd refused me eighteen times, claiming he was too busy with work.

But now, he was here taking wedding photos with someone else.

Seeing my silence, the manager assumed I was in shock from my husband's death and carefully supported me. "Miss Jenny, are you alright?"

I suppressed the sour feeling in my throat, my voice hoarse. "I'm fine. Keep the deposit."

With that, I walked step by step toward Charlie. He took a guilty step back.

A mocking smile appeared at the corner of my mouth, then I turned and walked out the door.

That evening, he came home with a bouquet of red roses, his face showing a rare hint of flattery.

"Jenny, you did great today. Thank you. Eve is sensitive. If you'd made a scene, I don't know how much she would have cried."

"Didn't you want to vacation in Hawaii? Once I get through this busy period, I'll take you there."

A tear slid down my cheek. The scene I'd dreamed of could be realized so easily.

My husband coming home from work with flowers, gently promising to take me to Hawaii.

I should have been happy, if I hadn't discovered his affair.

I didn't answer his question. Instead, I asked, "Why her?"

Eve. My stepsister. Back then, to force my mother to divorce, she and her mother had joined forces and driven my mother to her death.

She was my mother's killer.

Charlie knew full well that I hated her most. He could have cheated with anyone, but choosing her hurt me the most.

Tears fell like beans as my voice began to tremble. "You know I hate her most of all. What did I do wrong that you would treat me like this?"

Hearing this, Charlie frowned, his tone impatient. "Jenny, that's all in the past. You can't blame Eve for your mother's death. She was just a child then."

"If you want to blame someone, blame your mother for being too weak. She couldn't handle it, so she killed herself."

My vision gradually blurred. I stared in shock at the man who had promised to protect me for life. I never imagined he could say such things.

A slap landed across his face. I knew we could never go back.

"Let's get divorced."

After being slapped, Charlie could no longer control his temper. He looked at me furiously.

"Jenny, I've put up with you for a long time. Why are you so stubborn? Why can't you just let the past go?"

"Your mother has been dead for ten years. All these years, you've been making things difficult for everyone, making yourself miserable and dragging others down with you."

"Back then, your father stopped loving your mother long ago. If she'd agreed to divorce earlier, things wouldn't have turned out that way."

"It was all caused by her personality. She got what she deserved. You can't blame anyone."

Hearing him insult my mother again, I completely lost control. Like an enraged lion, I rushed at him, my fists flailing wildly against his body.

"Shut up! Don't you dare talk about my mother like that!"

"It was that pair of shameless mother and daughter who drove my mother to death! They're shameless! Shameless!"

Smack!

I was violently slapped and pushed to the ground. My forehead hit the coffee table, instantly breaking the skin. Liquid slid down from my forehead.

Charlie was terrified. He rushed over worriedly to support me, regret flashing in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Jenny. I didn't mean to. I was so angry I lost control."

"I'll take you to the hospital right now. You'll be fine. Don't be scared."

Seeing him so worried about me, I felt momentarily dazed.

It seemed like the man who put me first had never left.

After my mother died, I lived a painful life at home. My father didn't care about me. Eve and her mother constantly found ways to torment me.

On rainy days, they'd kick me out of the house, or "accidentally" push me down the stairs.

In that dark childhood, Charlie was my only light.

For my sake, he'd rush into my house with a stick to confront Eve and her mother. Even when his father tied him up and beat him for it, he never made a sound.

Thinking of how good he'd been to me, I suddenly wanted to give him a chance.

My eyes pleaded. "Charlie, please don't be with Eve, okay?"

Charlie's eyes flickered. He opened his mouth to speak when his phone rang.

A familiar voice came through the receiver. "Charlie, my mom found out about us. She's going to break my legs. Come save me, quick."

Then came a miserable scream, and the call disconnected.

Charlie anxiously stood up, knocking me over again without even noticing. The worry in his eyes wounded me once more. I crawled on the floor and grabbed his pant leg. "Charlie, please don't go."

Charlie pushed me away, his eyes full of conflicted panic. "Jenny, go to the hospital and get bandaged up yourself. Something happened to Eve. I have to go save her."

With that, he strode away without looking back.

I laughed bitterly and collapsed to the floor, letting the blood from my head drip down drop by drop.

Eve's mother had stolen my mother's husband. Now Eve was stealing mine.

But I couldn't be like my mother, ending up dead by suicide over a man.

After a while, my phone received a friend request from an unfamiliar account. The profile picture showed Eve in a wedding dress kissing Charlie's face. Both looked deeply affectionate. I wanted to see what she had to say, so I accepted.

She said nothing, just sent me a video.

In the footage, Charlie was kneeling on the ground, making promises to Eve's mother. "I will never let Eve down. I'll give her a grand wedding."

"But I heard Jenny has been living in your villa all along. Aren't you two already married? I won't let my daughter be a mistress."

Facing Eve's mother's interrogation, Charlie raised his palm in oath. "Jenny and I have no relationship whatsoever. I only let her live at my place out of pity, to help me clean."

"If Eve doesn't like it, I'll make her move out immediately."

The video stopped abruptly. The wedding I'd begged for in vain, he could so easily give to someone else.

Six years of secret marriage, only to be told we had no relationship at all.

Charlie, you gave up on our relationship, so I don't want you anymore either.

I dialed a number. "I agree to what you asked."

The next day, Charlie brought breakfast, his expression the same as last night's.

"Jenny, I stood in line to buy you breakfast. Mango smoothie and a sandwich. Come eat."

I'm allergic to mangoes, and Eve's favorite is mango smoothies.

Later, when she found out about my allergy, she deliberately put mango in my food. I ate it without noticing, then started having an allergic reaction. My whole body broke out in rashes, and my throat swelled so I couldn't breathe.

Eve deliberately told Dad I'd eaten it out of greed. Dad was so angry he whipped me before finally sending me to the hospital.

After Charlie and I got together, for my sake, he stopped eating mangoes too. There had never been a single mango in the house.

Now he'd forgotten. I knocked the breakfast from his hands.

Charlie suppressed his anger, looking at me impatiently. "Jenny, I already bought you breakfast as an apology. What more do you want from me?"

My expression was emotionless. "I'm allergic to mangoes."

Only then did he react, a flash of guilt in his eyes. "I was in such a rush this morning, I forgot. How about thistell me what you want to eat and I'll go buy it."

"No need. You only need to remember what Eve likes to eat."

Seeing my sarcastic tone, his expression hardened again.

"You don't need to be so passive-aggressive. Look at everyone in our circle. Who the hell stays faithful to just one woman?"

"I've been married to you for six years, and I've only had one other woman. You should be grateful."

I froze. I never imagined he could say something so shameless.

Caught cheating, he felt no guilt. Instead, he acted like I should understand him.

It was completely absurd.

Did he think that just by giving me the title of wife, I should be grateful and tolerate his infidelity?

Seeing my silence, he assumed I'd compromised.

His attitude softened considerably. "Good girl. You're a smart woman. You know what's best for yourself."

"I already promised Eve's mother yesterday that I'd give Eve a grand wedding. Otherwise, her mother will beat her to death. But don't worry, you're still my legitimate wife."

"I've already cleaned up the West Hill villa. It's quiet there. While I'm preparing the wedding these next few days, move there. Don't worry, I'll visit you often."

He'd finally said it out loud.

I looked straight at him. "No need. I"

I wanted to say divorce, but he impatiently interrupted me before I could finish. "Alright, who else can you depend on besides me? Stop being so stubborn."

"I'm going to be late for work. Move there yourself."

I shook my head and started packing my things, clearing away all traces of myself from this home.

I took out my phone to order a pickup service for my old belongings, when a new message popped up.

It was a beautiful wedding photo. The two people in the photo were Charlie and Eve.

I hurriedly pulled out my own marriage certificate to compare. I collapsed on the spot.

Marriage certificates are supposed to have an official seal. Mine and Charlie's didn't. It was fake.

That meant Charlie and I had never been married.

His claim that I was his legitimate wife was also a joke.

I laughed until tears came. I couldn't believe the man who'd protected me since childhood had deceived me for six years.

No wonder he refused to make our marriage public or take wedding photos with me. It was all fake.

"Do you know why Charlie used a fake certificate to deceive you?"

Eve had appeared behind me at some point. She looked at me triumphantly.

"Because he thinks you're not good enough. You're an embarrassment. So he lied to you, kept you hidden away. He never took you to meet family or friends. When people asked, he just said he took you in out of pity to work as his housekeeper."

"Jenny, your mother couldn't compete with my mother, and you can't compete with me either."

She grabbed my collar, her eyes full of malice. "Didn't you call my mother a mistress? Didn't you hate mistresses most? Look at yourself now! You're the mistress. You're the mistress between Charlie and me!"

I shoved her away, eyes bloodshot, shouting, "I'm not the mistress! I'm not! You're the mistress! You're the one who destroyed us!"

Eve laughed triumphantly. "But now the marriage certificate has my name and Charlie's. If you keep clinging to him, then you're the mistress! The mistress!"

"No, I'm not! No!"

I rushed at her like a madwoman, grabbing her clothes and shouting, "I'm not! You're lying!"

But she didn't struggle. A vicious smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. "Do you know how your mother really died? Let me tell youyour mother didn't commit suicide!"

I froze, stopping my movements, my whole body trembling. "What do you mean?"

"My mother didn't commit suicide?"

She shook her head. "You're just as stupid as your mother. That day, after I cursed at her, she did try to jump into the river to kill herself. But at the last moment, she regretted it. She said she couldn't leave you behind, that she had to live for you. How could that be allowed? So I helped her along."

Eve made a pushing motion with her hands. "I just pushed her like this."

I staggered, unable to stay on my feet. "You pushed my mother? You killed her?"

She nodded proudly. "Yes, I killed your mother. So what can you do about it?"

I rushed at her like a madwoman. "I'm going to kill you to avenge my mother!"

I exploded with tremendous strength, knocking her to the ground, pummeling and biting her wildly!

Then I became more and more frenzied, eventually punching and kicking her like a beast that had lost all reason. "You killed my mother! Go to hell! Die!"

But Eve suddenly flashed me a sinister smile. "You're finished."

Then a great force struck me, and I was kicked to the ground.

"Charlie, our baby! My stomach hurts so much. Quick, take me to the hospital."

Her lower body was covered in blood. She was pregnant.

Charlie frantically picked up Eve and ordered the bodyguards behind him, "Lock Jenny up. I'll deal with her when I get back."

After Charlie left, the bodyguards locked me up and directly set a fire.

"Miss Jenny deliberately set a fire trying to escape, but ended up burning herself to death."

So this was Eve's real goalto burn me to death.

The fire gradually grew. I struggled but couldn't untie the ropes.

I was choked by the smoke and gradually lost strength. A burning cabinet suddenly fell toward me. I closed my eyes in despair.